A New You: Don't walk away just yet ... a reward is coming

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
2 Chronicles 15:7.
It was a long car ride home from the city. The children fell asleep in the backseat, and my husband was driving. The sun had set. It was dark outside, and he quietly muttered, “I think we’re lost.” Next, he explained that he thought he had taken a wrong turn.
“On a scale of one to ten, how lost are we?” I asked. My husband shrugged, “Maybe, a five.” I acknowledged his guess with a smile and suggested that we drive a bit further to see if we were perhaps going the right way.
Yet, the farther he drove on the unfamiliar highway, the more I wondered, “Is this indeed the right road? Where is it going to lead?” Then, after a while, I thought to myself, “Maybe it’s time to just give in and turn back.”
In life, have you ever wondered and asked yourself those questions?
But that evening, my husband kept going forward and miles up the road, we were back on course. In fact, we were closer to our destination than we would have been if we’d turned around and tried another route home.
Possibly, something has happened that caused you to turn back from trying to reach for that which your heart has been longing. Maybe you’re scared, discouraged, or you’ve tried and failed. Or else, your current situation appears to be at a standstill, off course, and you are about to recede in despair.
However, don’t walk away yet. You could be only days or weeks away from seeing your breakthrough. Just as a snarled ball of yard can be transformed into a lovely tapestry, God is creating something exquisite out of your earlier experiences and challenges. For God, “...who formed the earth and made it...” (Isaiah 45:18) “...who by himself spread out the heavens…” (Job 9:8) and “...called out the stars, and they all appeared in order…,” (Isaiah 48:13) can reposition you and bring incredible blessings, joys and opportunities into your future.
So do not let your dreams pass you by or allow past hindrances to stop you from moving ahead. God is with you; believe He’s guiding you. For if you become fearful and turn back now, you may never know how close you were to success—in fact, it could be just around the next curve in the road.
While recovering from World War 1 injuries, DeWitt Wallace had a unique, inspired idea. He thought it would help people if there were one publication that had condensed articles. These articles would be written on a wide variety of subjects and would be easy for people to read. So Wallace approached some magazine publishers with his creative concept and they said, “No.” He assembled a sample issue and sent it to other publishers. They rejected the idea. One even told him he would never sell enough subscriptions to succeed. There will always be those who will criticize what you’re doing. Yet, Wallace didn’t give up his dream. Rejection was just redirection. Out of their home, Wallace and his wife, Lila, published their first issue of Reader’s Digest Magazine. Now, Reader’s Digest is one of the most widely circulated periodicals in the world.
What we work for and what we make every effort to attain, we value the most. A certain amount of struggle is good. That is why persistence is of enormous importance. At dance class, whenever I learn a new dance routine, the first day is challenging. The second day, I’m more comfortable. By the third day, I’m able to successfully master it. Trying and trying again, makes all the difference. So, in spite of obstacles, press on and never quit. “Remember success might be just around the corner, over the next hill or at the end of that next effort.” – Zig Ziglar
You have come too far to give up now. It is not too late to begin anew, to make positive changes, and to dream another dream. You’re strong and can overcome every obstacle. And as you persist, what first appears to be a stumbling block can turn into a stepping stone to achievement.
I like the story about the little boy who was flying a kite at the beach. A person walking by saw the child running back and forth on the sand and asked, “What are you doing?” The boy, holding the kite’s string in his hands, answered, “I’m flying a kite.”
However, since the kite was so high in the air, the passerby could not see it. So he questioned, “But how do you know the kite is still there?”
Politely, the boy responded, “I know the kite is there, because I can feel the tug on the string.”
Regardless of what your circumstances look like today, similar to this little boy flying a kite that a passerby couldn’t see, feel the tug of assurance in your heart from God that says, “Don’t walk away just yet… a reward is coming.”
Today, let us keep our focus on God and open our hearts to what He can do. And let’s leave the question of ‘how’ to Him. God will direct your steps, and soon you’ll be at the right place at the right time for a dream to come true. He can put your name in the forefront of someone’s mind, and a ‘no’ will be turned into a ‘yes’! And situations that didn’t look like they’d ever work out will fall beautifully into place. A golden opportunity is coming your way—and perhaps, in a manner you’d never even imagined.
So follow God’s nudges forward. Persevere onward with unshakeable faith. Look ahead to the many joys and miracles that await, and the path that you walk will get brighter and brighter and brighter.
Email Galasso-Vigorito at cgv@anewyouworldwide.com
To order a copy of her new book The Open Window, 8 Weeks to Creating an Extraordinary Life, visit www.anewyouworldwide.com or bookstores nationwide.